Member Reviews
I was so excited to receive this book. I loved her past work and this did not disappoint! The characters were so well established, and the book didn't feel like anything else I've ever read. Loved it!
I was a bit worried when I saw the author is best known for Christian Fiction. However, there's no god talk or hand-wringing about "Christian values" in this book. It is a clean romance though; only kissing. It's a charming story with a slow-burn romance. I enjoyed it even when I wanted to yell "just tell him!!" And I will say that there is quite the plot twist involved and it's kind of hilarious.
I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book blurb seemed interesting but the actual book just wasn't holding my attention. This was a DNF for me.
Plot Twist
By Bethany Turner
Rating: 4/5
Since I was such a huge fan of Bethany Turner’s books, I was so excited to receive an advanced reader copy of Plot Twist. The title and cover and description just got me. I was excited to dive into another romantic comedy.
When aspiring screenwriter Olivia Ross meets an interesting and struggling actor at a coffee shop, she forgets to get his name despite agreeing to meet back in ten years. Each year, Liv finds some coincidence or another that makes February 4th stand out. When Liv figures out who that actor from the coffee shop was, she begins to keep track of his career as she struggles to finish her screenplay. What’s more real - her writing or her actual personal life? Can the glamour of Hollywood even compare to romance in real life?
I laughed. I cringed in embarrassment. I was giddy with excitement at the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining book. I can understand why there were some negative reviews because the style is so different than her other books but I don’t think it deserves the harsh comments. I will say that I was a bit disappointed that the book was more a clean romcom than a Christian romcom. However, I always love all the pop culture that Bethany includes in her stories. The resurgence of “MFEO” is now inevitable. If you know, you know.
Moving the story from year to year - snapshot to snapshot- started off entertaining but ten years seemed a little too long. I wanted more growth from Liv. But then a part would pull me back in until I thought I had guessed the plot twist.
Highly recommend if you enjoy hilarious, clean romantic comedies with some modern day glitz and mystery.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.
Clever, but not as surprising a plot twist as I was hoping for. A writer meets a potential actor in a busy coffeeshop, and he helps to deflect unwanted advances from another man by faking a relationship. They joke about meeting in ten years times, that he will star in her winning screenplay and they will both go on to have success. Through a series of coincidences, their lives cross until the fateful day...
Solid writing, creative plot.
#plottwist #netgalley
Ever enjoy a book so much and yet it drives you crazy at the same time?
I'm finding that I am definitely a please tell me every detail of this love story in a neat chronological order kindof person. Yet, this story in it's snapshot of one day a year is utterly intriguing & completely fits.
Olivia Ross is such a fun person to get to know. The characters in the story are real and it makes you wish you could be their friend.
I do wish i knew more about the day to day life of Olivia but that's just because I want to know what happens int he other 364 days of the year. But I think if we were to do that, it would take away from the charm of this story.
Bethany Turner writes wonderful romantic comedy. I can't wait for her next book!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. I also purchased a copy for myself. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
This is an easy read for all fans of rom com novels. Unfortunately the book didn't grab me as much as the synopsis let me to think it would but that's probably more down to me than the book. Nice writing style and dialogue.
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
Cute romantic comedy!
I really enjoyed this romantic comedy by Bethany Turner. Olivia is a frustratingly realistic lead, who makes mistake after mistake, but life keeps moving. I appreciated how much she struggled with writing her screenplay, and while she had many magical and insane things happen to her, she still had some dark times that she had to deal with before her happy ending.
The romance between Olivia and her guy was super sweet and romantic, but I really wanted to scream at her to tell the truth. Several times over! I loved the, pun intended, plot twist that came at the end of the book. It was really a neat ending, and I enjoyed everything playing out how it did.
I was annoyed at the celebrity talk, the author used the names of several real celebrities, and it jolted me out of the book world whenever I recognized the names. Also, what happened at the first charity auction was too over the top even for this over the top book.
Overall, really enjoyed this romantic comedy!
Plot Twist is such a sweet and delightful book. Greeting card writer Olivia is at a crowded coffee shop and has a chance encounter with an actor, Hamish MacDougal, she has never seen or heard of before on February 4. As they part ways, Hamish makes a pact with her to meet up in 10 years where she can unveil her screenplay she is writing to him. The story is then told over the course of ten years each day on February 4. I loved the way the story unfolded each year, the supporting characters you meet, Fiona and Liam, and the twists and turns Olivia's story took along the way. I couldn't wait to get to the 2013 chapters to see how the end played out and I have to say, I truly loved the ending!
Oh my goodness, when I didn’t have a smile on my face while reading Plot Twist by Bethany Turner, I was crying, what book! I loved that this was told on a singular date over the course of ten years. On February 4th from 2003-2013, Olivia ‘Livi’ Ross is met with a series of coincidences and ironies, from running into the stranger she made a ten year pact with, to having former loves reappear in her life. We watch her evolve as a person and how she sees herself, we see the resilience of her friendship with Fiona, her lifelong best friend, and how she comes to terms with her feelings for Liam, her ex boyfriend and longtime friend. Though there were times I wanted to strangle Olivia, I also found her to be quite endearing and vulnerable. I loved that Plot Twist focused more on friendship than romance, and there was a few surprises thrown in so everything wasn’t entirely predictable!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (Thank you to NetGalley, Bethany Turner and Thomas Nelson for my advanced digital copy)
Refreshingly surprising but entirely familiar and cozy, Plot Twist should be on every romcom lovers to be read list! Uniquely written, Turner shares the story of Olivia Ross – aspiring screenwriter, greeting card author, and lifelong best friend of the fabulously well-connected Fiona – with one-day snapshots of her life on the same day over a decade. We find Olivia mid-meet-cute with a handsome aspiring actor with whom she manages to make a pact (to return to the coffee shop in 10 years with successes under the belts to partner up for a project) but fails to catch his name.
It is on this day each year the reader gets to revisit Olivia as she navigates professional frustrations, personal disappointments, and complicated relationships. Whether it is fate or self-inflicted, Olivia finds herself in zany, serendipitous situations each year bringing her closer and closer to her 40th birthday and the end of her pact. There is a fair amount of self-sabotage and self-deprecation from Olivia that feels incredibly frustrating but pretty realistic, especially when we consider so much of the character’s arc occurs ‘off page’ between the years we pop in to.
Set in Hollywood, movie references are robust and there is a certain level of willful suspension of disbelief but they feel perfectly appropriate for the novel and are so well-written, I could actually see each of the scenes playing out of the big screen! If you’re someone who struggles with stories been a little unrealistic, this one probably isn’t for you – I can absolutely see how frustrating the unlikely scenarios and little character growth over a 10 year plot could be frustrating but if you just let yourself live in the space a little, I find it to be an incredibly pleasant ride.
It is a relatively quick read with light content and little depth. You’re not going to feel transformed by this story but you may just be transfixed with the playful nature of the format and fun, surprise ending. I recommend Plot Twist for lovers of any Hallmark channel romcoms, Waiting for Tom Hanks, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
This is like a modern "One day" by David Nicholls, only less crying and more drama.
As soon as I started to read it this book felt like it was going to be addictive. And it was. You could tell that this was going to have an obscure ending and with the same characters cropping up each 4th of February over 10 years I seem correct.
The ending was bittersweet but realistic as most people don't realise their feeling in the moment and the main character explores this over a decade of 4th of Februaries.
Most reviews have a section on what is missing and how to make it better but I cannot think of any as this book ticks boxes such as globe trotting, celebrity cameos, breaks, makeups and humour. All of these things I look for within my modern chick lit.
I look forward to other books that the author writes.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Release Date: June 15th
Plot Twist is centered around Olivia Ross, an eager new screenwriter who makes a pact on February 4, 2003 with a new actor that if they meet in the coffee shop again in 10 years, he will star in her screenplay. The story is told from Olivia’s point of view with updates each year on February 4th, getting closer to that tenth year possible reunion. The writing seemed a bit confusing at times but the yearly update/diary entry style from one perspective is not done easily and the author was able to close the gaps and I never felt lost.
Plot Twist explores the relationships that are formed between her closets friends, Liam and Fiona. The book gives us an emotional journey through these relationships and the journeys each one has. It examines friendship, emotional bonds, and how things change or stay the same throughout the years.
Plot Twist is fast paced and was not what I was expecting. It had me frustrated with Olivia many times. The range of emotions I felt throughout the book gave me pause on how to rate it. I laughed, cried, wanted to yell at certain characters. While romance is an important part of this story, I feel readers of woman’s fiction will also be drawn to Plot Twist.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the advanced copy.
I like the unexpected turn this took. The first chapter set up a plot that didn’t quite hook me - an aspiring screenwriter cross paths in a coffee shop, promising to meet ten years later to collaborate on a project together - but man did the next decade of story deliver. I found Olivia a challenging main character at times, but adored her friendship with Fiona and the way all the side plots came together in the end.
After reading this one or at least half of it . I have come to the conclusion that both the author's writing style and characters are not for me. However, fans of the authors previous work and of the genre in general will love this book. It's just that the author is the author for me, and that's fine there's a book and author for every reader.
A screen writer meets an actor on February 4, and he makes her promise to meet him on the same date in 10 years to make the movie she's writing together. Each chapter shows the main character on February 4 each year for the next 10 years.
I would have liked this book more if it were 5 years and a novella instead of 10 years and a novel. For starters, I knew exactly how the story would end. Unlike traditional romances, I don't think you're supposed to know how this story ends. There was one surprise in the story, which was interesting, but it wasn't enough to make me love the book. Additionally, the main character's life is incredibly sad. I felt sorry for her most of the time I was reading, but I couldn't bring myself to root for her life to turn around because most of the bad things were because of her negativity, lies, and cowardice.
DNF. I just wasn’t really clicking with the main character or dialogue, but I’m sure it would’ve ended up being a cute read.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Plot Twist by Bethany Turner is a fun example of clean chick lit. The first chapter had me mesmerized with how beautifully it set up the entire story. From there, the book keeps revisiting the same date over the years. That was fun and interesting but eventually it wasn't quite as fun and I was ready for the plot to take the turns I predicted and had to wait quite some time for it to happen. I think this is a fun summer read, especially if you are looking for a feel good book. This author is masterful at writing fun, happy books that will bring light into your life. This book definitely does that and I will keep reading her books as a result. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.
Olivia Ross is a 30-year-old woman who is trying to write a screenplay. One day, in a café, she meets a man and they agree to meet on that same spot in 10 years and make a movie. Her screenplay, he will act.
I know, you already have something like <i>Before Sunrise</i> in mind, but I assure you, there is even less going on here.
Now, we proceed to follow Olivia’s life for the next 10 years, but only on every February the 4th, or the day she met her mystery man. And on a day that she believes is somehow jinxed.
Well, this was an easy read and that is as much of positive things I can say about this book. It was easy to read. That’s it.
I think I would have liked it much more if the book started with Olivia being 20 and ending when she is 30, then starting at 30 and ending at 40. It would have been much more believable.
If you wonder why, that is mostly because her actions are so childish, so immature, that I just can’t believe that a single 30-40 year old person would ever do things like that.
There are no plot holes, I’ll give you that, but there is no plot either!
As I said, we follow Olivia for 1 day every year, and the things that make her believe the day is jinxed are normal things that can happen to anyone any day, but her life is so uneventful that they are a big deal.
The things are, I don’t know, breaking up with a boyfriend because he was funny that day (???) or bumping into him several years later.
We know very little of her character or her life. We know that she had one same job for 10 years, that she lives with a roommate at the age of 40, and worst of all, that she is constantly complaining about her brother “overshadowing” her just because he has a wife and some kids. <i>How DARE he!?</i>
I also don’t think that Olivia, or her best friend are that good of a friend to each other, actually.
I didn’t feel like I hated her while reading the book, but every time I stopped to think a bit about the characters or the plot, or the book as a whole, I just couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
There is no character development here, or plot development, except for that screenplay finally being written after 7 (8?) years.
And for a character who so passionately hates rom-coms, it is so… Idon’tevenknowwhatwordtousehere to be in a rom-com.
Once again, I would find it much more believable if the characters were 10 years younger, because I can understand a 20-year-old settling for a horrible job or making some of the nonsense decisions that Olivia made. But a 30-something-year-old!? Not a chance.
But it is a quick and easy read in which you wouldn’t have to invest too much of your brain, energy or emotions. So it is okay, I guess.
<i>A big thank you to Thomas Nelson—FICTION and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>
I have never DNF an ARC before, but this book is rubbing me in all the wrong ways. I expected a cute contemporary romance, but I have a female main character that I have zero respect for because of the extent that she isn't honest about her feelings, does nothing to pursue her goals, and mistreats the two people she's closest to. Not only is there no mention of any kind of faith at all in this Thomas Nelson book, but the characters are making decidedly poor life choices. I'm just not enjoying this and I strongly dislike the main character. I hate having to do this to a book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, but I cannot finish this book. All opinions expressed are obviously my own.